Tara Wright pleads with John Bischof, Chris Tkatschenko to face court

She told police she was at the bloody scene of an alleged stabbing attack just to grab a cup of coffee but cameras caught her smack bang in the middle of a daylight brawl.

A Sydney hairdresser who tried to break up an alleged daylight stabbing in which multiple knives went flying has admitted lying to police by claiming she was just getting a cup of coffee nearby.

Tara Wright, 27, was charged with knowingly concealing an indictable offence after police found her at the scene of an alleged stabbing in Bexley in May 2020.

Police will allege Wright’s associate John Bischof, 27, and a man now identified as Christopher Tkatschenko were involved in a brawl with a third man in the early afternoon of May 9 which spilled from the footpath into the road.

Police say the alleged victim was stabbed three times to the left side of his torso – including one strike close to his heart – in the course of the brawl on Queen Victoria St.

He later required emergency surgery at St George Hospital.

Bischof and Tkatschenko now stand charged with wounding with intent to cause grievous bodily harm, reckless wounding and assault causing actual bodily harm.

“Wright denied any knowledge of a stabbing or a brawl and denied any involvement in any incident,” agreed police facts stated.

“Wright is captured on CCTV and (seen by) witness bystanders getting between (the complainant), Bischof and the other co-accused male.”

Tara Wright, 27.

During a police interview Wright continued to insist she and Bischof had caught a taxi from the Sutherland Shire to Bexley to get a coffee at the corner shop, the court heard.

However, in September last year she pleaded guilty to concealing an indictable offence with a maximum potential penalty of 20 years or more and was sentenced to an 18-month community corrections order.

Three charges of assaulting police and one charge of resisting police were dismissed under the Mental Health Act.

Tara Wright, 27.

Court documents reveal police arrived at the scene five minutes after CCTV captured the start of a fight allegedly involving Bischof, Tkatschenko and the alleged victim.

A subsequent sweep of the alleged crime scene uncovered two separate weapons, according to court documents.

“Police located part of a knife within a drain at the intersection of Beaconsfield St and Queen Victoria St,” police facts allege.

“The victim walked into the front stairwell of (a home on Queen Victoria St) and was observed by police throwing an object into the front bushes, later identified to be a knife.”

John Bischof, 27.

According to the police facts sheet in Wright’s case, Bischof initially denied any involvement in a stabbing until police showed him CCTV which allegedly depicted him at the scene.

“Bischof stated he arrived in a taxi with Wright to get a coffee from a nearby shop,” police facts allege.

“At first Bischof stated he was not in the CCTV captured from 1.19pm, however, later stated he was the male in the CCTV walking with the complainant and Wright up Queen Victoria St.”

At his arraignment on Friday Tkatschenko pleaded not guilty to all three charges and will face a 10-day trial on November 8 at Sydney District Court.

Bischof is yet to enter pleas to his charges and will next face Central Local Court for a committal mention on February 25.